By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 05:04 am:

...I saw this topic started on another thread (Stubass' "Dock of the bay" thread), and unless I missed something, it wasn't continued on a new one...

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, someone started talking about where Otis Redding's inspiration for "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" came from, and that's where my "inspiration" for this thread came from.

Does anyone else know the origins or inspirations for other oldies treasures? I'm very curious and would be very interested in any and all info...

Ok I'll start it off (even though most of you probably already know this one), but I read somewhere (most likely in one of the many Motown books I've read through the years), that the Supremes' hit "Stop in the Name of Love" was inspired by an argument between one of the Holland brothers (Brian or Eddie) and his girlfriend...In the midst of the argument, one of them walked off in a huff, and the other jokingly called out in a desperate plea, "Stop!!!....in the name of LOVE!!!)...then they both started laughing, and that's what conceived the hit song...

Ok you guys' turn, and don't leave me hangin' on this one... :o)

By Eli (205.188.209.109) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 08:43 am:

I know that Smokey Robinson and the late Al Cleveland were out shopping one day and Smokey proclaimed to Al.."hey Al, lets go have some lunch" and Al replied "yeah Smoke, I second that emotion'!!..and well the rest is......

By Eli (205.188.209.109) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 08:53 am:

Here is a personal one.

Back in the day, Club Harlem in Atlantic City had a breakfast show at around 6am Sunday morning.
So one morning after one of these shows we were strolling along Kentucky avenue and the club was letting out and all of the pimps and playas and their "ladies" were stepping into their "diamond in the back" type Caddies, and I then proceeded to exclaim..."check this out, it looks like a
----three ring circus!!!!...so we went back and wrote the follow up to Sideshow which was inspired by an advert in the Daily news for the circus which still had a tent and the words Sideshow and See were emblazoned across the page and well...that triggered it and I changed the perspective to a sideshow of "love situations" and that was it!!!

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 09:18 am:

I have been told that a lot of Curtis Mayfield's song themes (subjects) were inspired by things he saw on the TV news or in a local newspaper (either back in Chicago or whilst on the road).

He would write a lot on the road, but 'put a song away' if he wasn't fully satisfied he had captured what he wanted to express fully. He would then revisit the song a few weeks later in an attempt to finish it off to his full satisfaction.
The Impressions "It's Alright" was supposedly inspired while on the road, when Curtis was telling Fred Cash something and Fred just kept saying 'Thats Right', 'Right' 'Its All Right', etc.

By Eli (205.188.209.109) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 10:11 am:

One of the things that I did and still do is write down titles as I think of them.
They may be inspired by a conversation, a happenstance or a passing comment in a fleeting moment or anything that I felt would trigger a thought to be expounded upon.

Also, before entering the studio we would ALWAYS have a completed draft of the song and it would be FULLY rehearsed with the artist who was recording it.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 10:18 am:

I used to watch Pocorn Wiley read a newspaper and underline things that he found interestng that might become songs.

By Eli (205.188.209.109) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 10:30 am:

IMO, most of the "art and craft" of lyric writing is gone , excluding rap as a genre.

I have worked with people who were writing words and when I inquired what the title and the hook were, they said that they didnt know.

I do try my best, however to instruct some of the young folks on what gives a song longevity, when they are willing to listen.

By Eli (205.188.209.109) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 10:33 am:

As an addendum to my previous post, on more than one occasion I have been told that
"yeah, well the song is about 3 and 1/2 minutes , is that long enough??"

By STUBASS (152.163.252.68) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 11:05 am:

NICE TOPIC...GOTTA BE LOTS MORE STORIES!!!...TRUTH IS...HOWEVER...THAT MANY WRITERS INSPIRATION COMES FROM A DESIRE TO PRODUCE A HIT AND MAKE SOME MONEY...AND THATS OK...BECAUSE EVEN IF A HIT SONG WASN'T DIVINELY INSPIRED TO BE WRITTEN...MOST GOOD SONGS WILL "HIT HOME" WITH SOME OF THE LISTENERS WHO BELIEVE THAT..."THIS SONG *MUST* HAVE BEEN WRITTEN WITH ME IN MIND"!!!...STUBASS

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 11:30 am:

JSmith:
You're dead on regarding Curtis' "It's All Right".

According to an interview he gave to Robert Pruter, Curtis was "running at the mouth" while en route to a gig. He was basically spelling out what he wanted to accomplish in his life and Sam & Fred chimed in with "all right" and "say it's all right." Curtis said that by the time they got to the gig, they could've sung "It's All Right" right there because the idea for the song was already complete!

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 11:32 am:

Smokey Robinson wrote "More Love" for his wife Claudette, who at that time suffered a miscarriage of their unborn children.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By STUBASS (64.12.97.7) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 11:38 am:

IT WAS KIND OF COOL KEV...THAT WHEN SMOKEY AND CLAUDETTE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO PRODUCE A CHILD...THEY NAMED THEIR SON...BERRY BOROPE ROBINSON...BOROPE...TAKING THE FIRST TWO LETTERS OF THE NAMES OF HIS MIRACLES MATES...BOBBY...RONNIE...PETE!!!...STUBASS

By Scratcher (65.238.127.61) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 11:45 am:

Sam and Fred should have gotten a songwriting credit. Most producers alloted anywhere from 5 to 15 percent for coming up with a title.

By Nish (216.148.246.70) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 01:29 pm:

Barbara Mason's "Yes I'm Ready" was inspired by Major Lance's "Monkey Time." She mentioned to me that she did a show with him and some others, and she loved that particular song.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 03:09 pm:

Scratcher:
Funny you should mention that...Curtis got into a bit of trouble with the gang at Jobete Music because the Impressions' hit "Can't Satisfy" sounded like "This Old Heart Of Mine Is Weak For You". The result - Curtis plead no contest and surrendered the songwriting credits to H-D-H and the publishing to Gordy.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By RODS (195.93.50.10) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 04:29 pm:

To Ralph
Re Popcorn Wylie.
That's quite true. "Dow-Jones recovers 19 points" is a big tune now on the UK soul scene.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 07:06 pm:

RODS,
Thanks for the info. I always knew Corn knew what he was doing.

By medusa9e2003 (66.73.0.162) on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 09:13 pm:

hmmmmm...and I wonder what inspired the person who wrote the song 'Love Wont Let Me Wait"???

Leon haywoods' I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You???

Close The Door/Turn Off The Lights`~Teddy Pendergrass???
The Delphonics Songs??? boy, don't I miss the romance N the music!
Ok, I just wanted 2 tickle your mind a little, is that alright????LOL

By Eli (152.163.252.68) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 12:32 am:

Hi Medusa....
I am not sure if you are aware that I am the person who wrote Love Won't Let me Wait!!!
Just thought that I would mention it.
The inspiration for that song was not one of a sexual nature per se, it only became that after the fact.
I was sitting on my guitar amp doodling with the song I wish you love and then I pictured Sinatra at the bar with his hat to the side and his jacket draped over his back while holding a cocktail in his hand with tinkling glasses in the background, and at that moment the bar was getting ready to close and Blue Eyes was "crying in his drink" to the bartender because his old lady was getting ready to fly the coop.
So for some unexplained reason all of those images inspired that song.
The "moans" were a production decision after the fact and had nothing to do with the writing of the song....per se!!!!!

By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 02:41 am:

...Wow, Bobby, I had no idea you had such influences on MY musical influences...who all have you worked with (if you feel like telling it again for like the 15th time, I know I'm not the first to ask)??

...great info guys, keep'm comin'... :o)

By Eli (152.163.252.68) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 08:59 am:

JoB,
I am a record producer/songwriter/musician.
I was one of the guitarists with MFSB the studio band in Philly who played on all of the records during the Philly heyday.
I have written and/or produced many records including some which are considered to be classic soul and pop hits.
Some of my early production and/ or writing credits were Sideshow and Three Ring Circus by Blue Magic, Love Wont Let Me Wait by Major Harris, Just Dont Want To Be Lonely by the Main Ingredient and many, many more.
I hope that answers your question.

By Julian (152.163.252.68) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 11:28 am:

Wasn't Otis Redding's, oops, I mean Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music (didn't Redding produce it)" "inspired" by Sam Cooke's "Yeah Man"? They sound very, very much alike. Didn't Redding rip one from Irma Thomas, too? I'm not beating up on Redding, though.

Julio

By dvdmike (68.72.87.195) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 11:33 am:

The hook on The Sylvers' "Wish That I Could Talk To You" sounds quite similar to The Intruders' "Slow Drag"

The hook on The Notations' "Think Before You Stop" was lifted from Blue Magic's "Stop To Start"

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 12:27 pm:

Julian:
"Sweet Soul Music" was based on Sam's "Yeah, Man".
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Eli (205.188.209.109) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 12:36 pm:

What never ceases to amaze me is that there are only TWELVE notes in the chromatic scale and twenty six letters in the alphabet and out of those aforementioned numbers we somehow continue to creare song after song, year after year.
Just think about it.
When you add up all of the songs ever written, they were created with only those small amounts of notes and letters.
So we as creative people, must continuously figure out ways to make 12 those notes and 26 letters different in such a way to be considered 'original"
Simply mind boggling!!!

By Nish (170.224.224.38) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 05:13 pm:

Eli, that's a profound thought - I always am amazed at that too. Songwriters and musicians are awesome people, I tell you.

By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 07:48 am:

Bobby..."Don't want to be Lonely"? One of my favorites...indebted to ya for that one by itself, let alone "Love won't let me wait" and "Sideshow", I like those also...do you still make music????

By Eli (152.163.252.68) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 11:18 am:

Hi JoB,

Im just gettin started!!!!!

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 02:24 am:

Bobby,
RE: you being a record producer / songwriter/ musician / MFSB member, etc.
NOT ONLY THAT.... but you are a true gentleman and have a great memory. Without all the fabulous memories (& those from similar ol skool guys / gals on here) you recount on here, this forum would be a much less interesting place. THANX.

By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 08:09 am:

Hey Bobby...in that case, with your track record, maybe there IS hope for the music industry after all :o)